Combined time-recording and valve-controlling mechanism.



J. F. ROSS.

COMBINED TIME RECORDING AND VALVE CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1, 1909.

1,073,172. Patented Sept. 16, 1913. I

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JOHN F. ROSS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COMBINED TIME-RECORDING AND VALVE-CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1 (S, 1 913.

Application filed November 1, 1909. Serial No. 525,673.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN F. Ross, a citizen of the United States. residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illiniois, have invented a certain new and useful Combined Time-Recording and Valve- Controlling Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is in the nature of a combined time-recording and valve-controlling mechanism, and it has been designed and intended chiefly as an accessory for automobiles and similar motor vehicles employ ing oil as a fuel.

The invention has the general character of a safety device, in the sense that it is designed to protect the owner of the autoi'nobile or other machine to which the invention is applied against the surreptitious and unauthorized used of the machine by a chauffeur, or other operative employed to operate it, by making it impossible for the machine to be operated without recording the fact of its operation. As a specific instance of the evil referred to, mention may be made of the extensive practice on the part of unscrupulous automobile drivers of joy-riding at the expense of the owner of the machine. This invention aims to render such practices impossible without notification thereof to the owner through a time-recording indicator which discloses not only the fact that the machine has been secretly used, but also discloses the time period of such use.

The means whereby the purpose or object of the invention is effectuated comprises essentially a time-recording device including the key which, in the form herein disclosed, consists of what is commonly known as a watchmans clock, this clock being cooperatively associated With a mechanism for opening and closing the valve in the oilsupply pipe of a motor in such a way that lthe movement of the key to effect a marking on the recording disk of the clock simultaneously opens or closes the said valve in the oil-pipe. The valveactuating mechanism is operated from the key of the clock through a movable key-actuated member which may be either an element of the timerecording mechanism proper or a part formed on the key itself; the essential feature in this regard being the provision of means whereby the movement of the key to effect the marking of the recording disk simultaneously imparts movement to the valveactuating mechanism and. through the latter to the valve itself, alternately cpening and closing the latter. so that the recording disk shows not only the tact of the opening and closing of the valve but also the time periods elapsing between sue-- cessive openings and closings of the valve.

In the accompanying drawings 1 have illustrated one practical form in which the principle of the invention in: v find embodiment; but it will. be understood that the structural details of the mechanimi are capable of modification within a considerable range without involving any departure from the principle of operation or varying the character of the result secured.

In the said d rawinis; Figure 1 a front elevation, partly in vertical section. of the device shown as applied to an oil-conduct ing pipe which may be assumed to lead from an oil tank or reservoir to the carbureter of an explosive motor. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same parts principally in vertical section in a plane at right angles to the section plane of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail on the line of Fig. 1, through a portion of the oil-pipe, valve casing and valve; and Fig. 4 is a detail elevation of the key.

Referring to the drawings for a more detail description. 5 designates as an entirety the time-recording mechanism, which. as herein shown, consists of what is commercially known as a Newman clock being a form of registering clock used by watchmen; the clock being provided with a suitably graduated paper or cardboard disk mounted on and rotated by the arbor ot' the hour hand of the clock proper and having a specially formed key provided with a prick-point which, when inserted and turned, punches or indents the recording disk at points thereon corresponding to the time as indicated by the clock itself.

Inasmuch as the present invention is not concerned with the details of the recording mechanism. the present description of the latter will be limited to those features which cooperate with the valve-actuating mechanism.

The casing of the recording clock is provided on its back with a hinged cover (3 whereby access may be had for the application and removal of the recording disk 7.

8 designates a post secured to a wall 9 0t the clock frame, said post lying opposite a key-hole 10 in the rim of the casing and receiving the hollow stem of the key 11, the bit 12 of the key carrying a tooth or prick-punch 13 which, when the key is turned, swings through an opening 14 in the back plate 15 of the clock movement and pricks a hole in the recording disk 7: the portion of the latter engaged by the tooth of the key being supported by a back stop or rest it rigidly secured to the back plate 13. In this form of time-recording device the opening 14 is normally closed by a guard-plate 17 carried by and pro jecting at right angles from the face of a slide 18 secured to the face of the wall 9 as by screws 19 engaging slots 20 in said slide; the upper edge of the slide 18 being engaged by a projection 21 (Fig. 4) on the inner end of the key bit 12, whereby the turning of said key depresses the slide and uncovers the opening 14 for the passage therethrough of the tooth 13; the slide 18 being returned to normal position when the key is turned back by a sprin 22. In the present embodiment of my invention I utilize this movable key-actuated slide 18 and its guard 17 to impart movement to a mechanism through which the valve in the oil-pipe is actuated.

23 designates a section of the oil-pipe, in which is interposed a valve-casing 24 containing a rotary ported valve 25 herein shown as a four-way cock. Keyed or other wise suitably secured on the stem or shank of the valve 25 is a ratchet disk 26. To the inner side of the cover 6 of the clock is secured as by screws 27 a bracket 28 formed with bearings 25) in which slidablyniount ed a rod 30. Secured on this rod, as by a set-screw 31, is the hub of an arm 32, the free end of which latter projects through a slot in the back plate 15 and engages the lower edge of the guard 17. The rod 30 is normally maintained in an elevated position by a spring 34 confined between the upper bearing 29 and a stop on the upper end of the rod. The lower end of the rod 30 is enlarged, as shown at 30 and is bifurcated to receive the end of one arm of a bell-crank lever 36, said lever being pivoted at 37 on a bracket 38 secured to the outer side of the cover 6 by the screw 27, and its upper arm projecting through a slot 39 in the cover and loosely pivoted at 40 in the forked end of the rod 30. To the lower end of the depending arm of the bellcrank 36 is pivoted a pawl 41 that drivingly engages the teeth of the ratchet disk 26. These parts of the valve-actuating mechanism lying outside of the clock casing are preferably housed within an auxiliary casing 42 which may be secured to the cover (3 of the clock casing by screws such as 27; and for the more rigid support of the valve 25, the casing 24 of the latter is preferably carried by a bracket 43 secured to the back wall of the casing 42.

The operation will be readily apparent from the foregoing description of the parts. Assuming that the parts are in the relatiw positions shown in Fig. 9, and that the valve 25 is in the blanked position in which the oil-supply pipe 23 is interrupted, the operator, as a necessary preliminary to the starting of the motor, applies the key ll and turns it in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 23. The projection 2i of the bit acts as a cam on the upper edge of the slide 19, forcing it and the guard l7 downwardly, uncovering the opening 14 for the passage of the tooth 3 into engagement with the disk 7, thereby recording on the latter the time of such actuation. The depression of the guard 17, through the arm depresses the rod 30, compresses the spring 3 1-, swings the bell-crank lever 36, and through the pawl 41 and ratchet 26 turns the valve to open position. permitting the flow of oil to the carbureter. Upon the retraction of the key, the spring 34 effects the idle or return movement of the valve-actmiting mechanism; and when the operator has returned from a run or is otherwise through with the motor, he again applies the key and operates it in the same manner, thereby recording the conclusion of the trip or period of operation of the motor and at the same time moving the valve another' step into blanked position, again cutting off the flow of oil to the carburetor or motor.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the operator, in order to obtain the supply of liquid fuel, must actuate the time-recording mechanism in order to open the valve, and thus record the fact of such valve-opening; and by requiring the operator to record the conclusion of any run or trip, the closing of the valve at such time is insured. The closing of such valve in the oil-supply pipe concurrently with the stopping of the motor has an additional utility and benefit in that it eliminates the danger of leakage and waste of oil through the usual needle-valve of the carbureter, which results to a large extent from even light jar and vibration of the floor or building on which the machine may be standing. The principal utility of the mechanism described, however, resides in its character as a safeguard against unauthorized use of the machine by providing a telltale record of such use which it is without the power of the operator to alter or destroy without detection.

I claim:

1. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination with a time-recording mechanism having a movable key-actuated member, of a valve-actuating mechanism directly engaged and actuated in one direction of movement by said movable keyactuated member, and a spring operating to actuate said valve-actuating mechanism in the reverse direction of movement, substantially as described.

2. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination with a time-recording mechanism having a movable key-actuated member, of a valve-actuating mechanism adapted to impart to a valve successivc opening and closing movements, said 'alve-actuating mechanism being directly engaged and actuated in one direction of movement by said movable key-actuated member, and a spring operating to actuate said valve-actuating mechanism in the reverse direction of movement, substantially as described.

8. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination With a time-recording mechanism having a movable key-actuated member, of a valve-actuating mechanism adapted to impart to a valve successive movements in the same direction, said valveactuating mechanism being directly engaged and actuated on its Working stroke by said movable key-actuated member, and a spring operating to actuate said valve-actuating mechanism on its idle or return stroke, substantially as described.

4. In a mechanism of the character de scribed, the combination with an oil-pipe having a rotary ported valve, of a time-recording mechanism having a movable keyactuated member, and a valve-actuating mechanism adapted to impart to said valve successive movements in the same direction Whereby to move said valve alternately to open and blanked positions, said valve-actuating mechanism being engaged and actuated in one direction of movement by said movable key-actuated member, and a spring operating to actuate said Valve-actuating mechanism in the reverse direction of movement, substantially as described.

JOHN F. ROSS.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL N. POND, MATTIE B. BLIss.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

